Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is another revered incarnation of our legendary imperial stout. We toned down the hops a bit to allow cocoa nibs to contribute some pleasing bitterness, while vanilla notes from the oak combine with the cocoa to create an aroma and flavor akin to a gourmet chocolate bar. A dash of cayenne keeps things lively, adding just a bit of heat to the finish. Another great Yeti? Hell yes.

Reviews by jminsc76:

Indulged this plenty of times on tap, and always delicious. Now for the bottle version.

Into a tulip, pours a dark, creamy, ice cream head atop a viscous body. Oily and angry, agitates fairly well.

Rich aromas of dark bitter chocolate, wood chips, mild coffee, and a tad bit of spice-laced brownies. It takes a strong *whiff* to derive all of it, even after it warms.

Flavors meld together well between the chocolate and cayenne pepper, the latter manifesting well on the finish. But that’s after it warms – initially it’s an oaky roast-bomb with brownies and French coffee.

Overall, reminds me slightly of an oak-based Black Phoenix by Bootleggers. More oak and chocolate (duh!) on this one though, with the obvious cayenne versus chipotle difference. It’s comparable in that you’ve got a complex stout with just the right amount of caliente.

I love Yeti, period. And while the Espresso version is still my favorite this one comes in at a close second. (1,101 characters)

More User Reviews:

Thick gorgeous pour of a deep flat blackness. The head was a thick congealed cloud of dark brown foam.

The nose is a touch lighter than I expected with a dry chocolate malt, whipped cream, vanilla, roasted coffee and smoke.

Mmmmm, dessert! You get chocolate and the taste of an after dinner coffee at the same time. There is a bit of spiciness, like a Jalapeno heat, with some Graham cracker maltiness, roasted ember, caramel and maybe toffee.

This is rich and thick with a tinge of alcohol and spiciness.

Saved a good one for my 1000th review, but I knew that Great Divide would deliver! (592 characters)

A: Perfectly black with a nice red hue dancing around the edges. The thin head fizzlesquickly and offers no lacing.

S: Chocolate notes hit up front, followed up by coffee, malt and spices. I detected hintsof raisins or some other dark fruit as well.

T: A wonderful mixture of vanilla and chocolate hit the tongue first. Then the secondarybut yet equally important second wave comes knocking and says "hello, there's cayenneand holiday spices in here too". The aftertaste is the all important Imperial aspect of the beer, finishing the experience with a satisfying "wow!"

M: A little dry on the tongue but with the appropriate amount of carbonation.Nice and chewy, however.

O: Just like the other beers in the Yeti line, this one is another winner. The combinationof the ingredients perfectly balance out into a highly drinkable stout, perfect for cold nights spent next to the fireplace, drinking more bottles of this brew. (996 characters)

a; Opaque black with an inch tall tan head which receded to thick even surface foam and dense patterned lacing.

s; Chocolate!

t: Espresso and dark chocolate followed by a sharp bitterness. Some throat burn from the high ABV. The coffee flavor may mask or blend with any taste coming from the oak aging, although some of that seems to show up later as a smoky woodiness in taste and aftertaste, as does the cayenne pepper in the form of a lingering throat burn.

Wow there is more to this version of the Yeti than I thought,cayenne...hmmm.Poured a jet black with a fluffy mocha colored head that left a creamy mass after leaving multiple sheets of lace as it settled very slowly.Aromas of vaniila/oak and bitter chocolate and some roastiness.Flavors start out with hefty roast and bitter chocolate with cayenne hitting in the finish wich is very noticeable by me,not sure how others have felt about the cayenne presence.Not sure if that cayenne presence is welcomed by me,its a bit annoying.I like the complexity and the uniquness but not my thing so much,although its not bad just for the record. (634 characters)

On tap at the Oak cafe - 2010 vintage. Pours a black super-nova color with a luscious and creamy looking deep-tan head comprises of bubbles so fine you can barely make them out. Good staying power and retention, though the lacing was minimal overall.

The aroma creeps out before you even bring this one to your nose. A deep, chocolate aroma hits your nostrils first - a sinister hybrid of sweet milky chocolate and bitter dark chocolate. An oaky, wood chips sweetness follows it up and keeps things leveled out. This one simply smells rich and robust, like a triple chocolate lava cake meltdown served on a burnt oak platter.

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti hits the palate smooth and silky, thick, but not to the point of being chewy or sludgy, although it surly can hold its own. The canvas is constructed of heavy oak flavors and even some bourbon notes. I don't know if the barrels this was aged in previously held bourbon or not, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that out. Succeeding sips reveal an even more deep and dense chocolate flavor than the aroma would lead on - like a bittersweet, rich Devil's food cake or a melted Godiva chocolate bar.

As sweet as it sounds, it's never cloying, as the sugary explosion is held in check by the bitter side of the chocolate, as well as the robust and borderline-bitter nutty and dark chocolate aftertaste. Notes of char reside at certain places but don't take up too much of the bill. As the beer got warmer, a certain spice flickered up, almost herbal and ashy. Apparently it's chili powder? I wouldn't have guessed that - it almost could pass as an intensely dry hop profile. Not distracting, just slightly unexpected. Great carbonation, then again, it was from a tap.

Wow, I'm glad I finally got to try this one. On tap, nonetheless. And the 2010 version. Good night for me, I suppose. I think I prefer the Espresso counterpart to the Yeti series over this one, although it's been a while since I've had it. This one was no slouch, however. I have a feeling the entire Yeti series is worthwhile. Now I must seek out the rest. (2,079 characters)

The color is black. That is if black were mostly black with a brown twinge . . . Completely opaque with a beautiful brown head. The nose is of very bitter dark chocolate, coupled with a wonderful aroma of medium roasted, coarsely ground coffee beans . . . Wow!

The beer smells so good that I have to dive in immediately! Pummels the palate with liquefied chocolate . . . Fudge, molasses, vanilla, and mocha. Oak tannin present. This beer is ridiculous. By the time you are getting a grip on the malt, which pleasantly assaults your palate, the hops are beginning to replace the sweetness of the malt with intense green bitterness that intensifies as the beer finishes. The beer finishes for minutes . . .

All the while, keeping all of the previously mentioned flavors present, and somehow getting more bitter. The ABV% is constantly in the background throughout, be ready and enjoy. (886 characters)

Bottled on 5/28/10 and reviewed yesterday, the day of all ones. Thanks to TCGoalie for the gift. I enjoyed this brew with zoso1967.

Into a snifter Yeti appears very dark with just an inkling of dark brown around the edges. The head is chocolate milk colored with great retaining power when swirled; it debuted at one and a half fingers from a split bomber. The lacing left on the glass is elegant, with pretty fine streaks and blobs.

This smell is crazy and has a lot going on. Milk chocolate is the most prevalent aroma, with the cayenne adding just enough of a spicy kick in my nostrils. When I excite the beer molecules a roasted malt scent is more noticeable. The oak chip aging adds a creamy and smooth vanilla aroma.

As soon as I opened my mouth for the sip I felt heat from the cayenne. Then when the beer hit my tongue, the chocolate melted in my mouth and was accompanied by a roasted malt presence that really tingled on the mid-section of my tongue. At the finish the cayenne really warms the back of my throat and combines with a dry coffee-like and hop bitterness to clean my palate. As the beer warms more and more to room temperature the cayenne is more pronounced in the flavor.

The mouthfeel was creamy, decadent, and medium-bodied at the beginning of the tasting when the beer was a little cooler. When the beer warms, the body retains some creaminess, but a biting presence from the hops and cayenne becomes a lot more pronounced.

This is nicely drinkable beer considering the addition of cayenne and the alcohol content. In fact, the component ingredients do a nice job covering said alcohol amount. The journey from about 50 degrees to room temperature is a fun one, as the character of the beer changes a lot in that range. This is a brew that I will look for again and is a complex and enjoyable sipper. (1,831 characters)

Black hole pour with a quarter inch of tan foam on top. Good spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of rich dark malts and cocoa. Coffee, cream and oak. Mild hoppy bitterness. Vanilla and toffee work in with the underlying chocolate.

First sip brings big smooth dark malts upfront. Chocolate is vibrant with a bit of coffee as well. Vanilla cream moves into oak accents. A bit of cayenne heat on the finish is quite a nice treat for me. The spiciness and mellow heat really gives this beer some extra oomph. Well balanced overall.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy. Would be a good desert beer for sure! Another tasty Great Divide brew. I'm looking forward to the Espresso Yeti in my cellar. (693 characters)